WATCH ABOVE: Amateur video footage shot by Serbisyo Publiko of Newsonline, an online news publisher in the Philippines, showed several men climbing down from the top deck to escape the flames and at least one man jumping into the sea.
MANILA, Philippines – An inter-island ferry has caught fire in the central Philippines while it was docked and officials say all 544 passengers have been safely evacuated.
Video footage shows men jumping into the water or clambering down the MV Wonderful Stars’ roof deck in Ormoc city as black smoke billows around them and firefighters are struggling to put out the blaze.
The ship was still on fire Saturday morning hours after the blaze broke out.
Sarah Jane Balmaceda of the coast guard office in Ormoc says two of the 59 crew have been slightly injured.
Last month, a ferry was lashed by strong waves and capsized moments after departing from Ormoc port, leaving more than 60 people dead.
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